Hurricane Ernesto (2012)
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Hurricane Ernesto was a Category 2 hurricane and a damaging
tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depen ...
that affected several Caribbean Islands and areas of
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
during August 2012. The fifth named storm and second hurricane of the
2012 Atlantic hurricane season The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season was the final year in a consecutive string of three very active seasons since 2010, with 19 tropical storms; although many of the storms were weak and short-lived. The 2012 season was also a costly season i ...
, Ernesto originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the west coast of Africa in late July. Moving westward, the system developed into a tropical depression in the central Atlantic, and further into a tropical storm prior to entering the
Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. The system encountered high wind shear south of
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
but subsequently reached its peak intensity as a Category 2 hurricane as it made landfall on the
Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
. Ernesto briefly emerged in the Bay of Campeche as a strong tropical storm before dissipating over the mountainous terrain of Mexico. The remnant circulation emerged in the eastern Pacific basin, contributing to the formation of Tropical Storm Hector. Following the formation of the system, tropical storm watches and warnings were issued for the
Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean Sea No ...
. Hurricane watches and warnings were extended for nearby Caribbean Islands in the days following as Ernesto trekked across the central Caribbean Sea. Evacuations were performed in low-lying areas on the Yucatán Peninsula and cruise ship departures were cancelled.


Meteorological history

On July 27, the precursor to Ernesto moved off the west coast of Africa as a tropical wave. At the time, the wave was associated with a disorganized area of
convection Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the conve ...
. On July 29, a broad
low pressure area In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
developed in association with the tropical wave. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) first monitored the tropical wave in its tropical weather outlook on July 30, noting that the system had an accompanying low pressure area and was showing signs of
development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...
. The convection slowly organized due to generally favorable environmental conditions. After the circulation became better defined, the NHC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Five at 2100 UTC on August 1. At the time, the depression was located about 810 mi (1305 km) east of the
Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc bet ...
, moving west-northwestward due to an
anticyclone An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined as a large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from ...
to its north. In the 12 hours after its formation, the system's convection became disorganized due to westerly
wind shear Wind shear (or windshear), sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere. Atmospheric wind shear is normally described as either vertical or horizont ...
and dry air, and the NHC remarked the potential for degeneration into a tropical wave. However, the depression's
rainband A rainband is a cloud and precipitation structure associated with an area of rainfall which is significantly elongated. Rainbands can be stratiform or convective, and are generated by differences in temperature. When noted on weather radar im ...
s began to strengthen and become more organized. A Hurricane Hunters flight on August 2 observed tropical storm force winds, and accordingly the NHC upgraded the depression to Tropical Storm Ernesto at 2100 UTC. After becoming a tropical storm, Ernesto initially had difficulty maintaining convection near the center, and its rapid westward movement prevented significant organization. At around 1200 UTC on August 3, the storm moved over or very near Saint Lucia, and radar imagery observed a well-defined circulation moving by the island. Wind shear gradually decreased over the storm, allowing for outflow to increase in its western portion. There were disparities among
tropical cyclone forecast model A tropical cyclone forecast model is a computer program that uses meteorological data to forecast aspects of the future state of tropical cyclones. There are three types of models: statistical, dynamical, or combined statistical-dynamic. Dyna ...
s over the future of Ernesto; some anticipated significant intensification due to warm waters and low shear, whereas others forecast the storm to remain a minimal storm or even weaken. Although the satellite appearance was well-organized, a Hurricane Hunters flight on August 4 observed a disorganized structure, and early the next day the circulation became exposed to the northwest of the convection; the weakening was possibly due to dry air and some mid-level shear, despite otherwise favorable conditions. On August 5, the storm passed south of Jamaica. It stayed on its current trajectory due to powerful ridging over the Southern United States. Early on August 6, convection redeveloped over the center after Ernesto slowed its westward movement, and decreasing wind shear allowed for restrengthening. Late on August 7, Ernesto intensified into a hurricane to the north of Honduras. While approaching the
Yucatán Peninsula The Yucatán Peninsula (, also , ; es, Península de Yucatán ) is a large peninsula in southeastern Mexico and adjacent portions of Belize and Guatemala. The peninsula extends towards the northeast, separating the Gulf of Mexico to the north ...
, Ernesto quickly intensified, developing a well-defined eye. Early on August 8, the hurricane moved over
Banco Chinchorro Banco Chinchorro is an atoll reef lying off the southeast coast of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco in Quintana Roo, Mexico, near Belize. It was featured throughout the 2009 semi-documentary film ''Alamar'' by Pedro González-Rubio. Geograp ...
offshore extreme eastern Mexico as a strong Category 1 storm, then strengthened further into a Category 2 hurricane before making its mainland
landfall Landfall is the event of a storm moving over land after being over water. More broadly, and in relation to human travel, it refers to 'the first land that is reached or seen at the end of a journey across the sea or through the air, or the fact ...
on Mahahual,
Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
, at around 10:15 p.m. CDT (0315 UTC), with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). Operationally, the hurricane was held at a high-end Category 1 at its peak intensity. The position of Ernesto's Category 2 peak is not depicted in this graphic as it held as a strong Category 1 hurricane operationally, but after reassessment, it was deemed a Category 2. Ernesto later weakened to tropical storm status after its convection weakened over land. It reemerged over the Bay of Campeche, and intensified into a strong tropical storm. The system moved inland across the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec The Isthmus of Tehuantepec () is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Before the opening of the Panama Canal, it was a major overland transport route known simply as the T ...
on the afternoon of August 9, and into southern Mexico before transitioning into a
post-tropical cyclone A post-tropical cyclone is a former tropical cyclone that no longer possesses enough tropical qualities to be considered a tropical cyclone. The word may refer to a former tropical cyclone undergoing extratropical transition or a tropical cyclone ...
on August 10. The remnants later contributed to the development of Tropical Storm Hector in the
Eastern Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
on August 11.


Preparations and impact


Caribbean

When Ernesto first formed, a tropical storm watch was issued for Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Martinique, and Guadeloupe at 2100 UTC on August 1. All of the watches were upgraded to a warning about 24 hours later, at which time Ernesto was upgraded to a tropical storm. At 0300 UTC on August 3, a tropical storm watch was issued for Grenada. After about six hours, the tropical storm warning was discontinued for Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The tropical storm watch for Grenada was canceled at 1200 UTC on August 3. The remaining tropical storm warnings were lifted three hours later. While moving through the Lesser Antilles, Ernesto produced wind gusts of on Saint Lucia and sustained winds of in Barbados. Due to the storm, the
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...
in Dominica closed for two days, and ferry service between Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, and Saint Lucia was canceled. On Saint Lucia, officials ordered businesses to close early. Although Ernesto passed very close to the island, the storm's quick movement allowed it to drop less than of rain. No damage was reported in the Lesser Antilles. In Puerto Rico, some areas experienced locally heavy rainfall, especially the southern half of the island. The heaviest amount of precipitation observed was near
Jayuya Jayuya (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island, north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of Ciales. Jayuya is spread over 10 barrios and Jayuya Pueblo (the downtown and administra ...
. A few mudslides occurred and some streets flooded, leaving at least three cars stranded. At 1200 UTC on August 4, the government of Jamaica issued an island-wide tropical storm watch, which was upgraded to a warning only three hours later. Officials ordered fishermen on outlying islands to evacuate to the mainland. A tropical storm watch was issued for the Cayman Islands at 1500 UTC on August 5, but it was discontinued about 24 hours later. Before Ernesto passed south of Jamaica, the government of Honduras issued a tropical storm watch from its border with Nicaragua to Punta Castilla at 0900 UTC on August 5. Twenty-four hours later, it was discontinued. However, a new tropical storm watch was issued from Punta Sal, located near
Tela Tela is a town, with a population of 38,030 (2020 calculation), and a municipality in Honduras on the northern Caribbean coast. It is located in the department of Atlantida. History Colonial era Tela was founded by the Spanish conquistador ...
, to the Honduras–Guatemala border. Additionally, a tropical storm warning became in effect from Punta Sal to the border with Nicaragua, including the
Bay Islands Department The Bay Islands ( es, Islas de la Bahía; ) is a group of islands off the coast of Honduras. Collectively, the islands form one of the 18 departments of Honduras. The departmental capital is Coxen Hole, on the island of Roatán. Geography ...
. These watches and warnings were discontinued at 2100 UTC on August 7. In
Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
, the civil defense authorities of the
North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region The North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It was created by the Autonomy Statute of 7 September 1987. It covers an area of 33,106 km2 and has a population of 541,189 (2021 estimate). It is the ...
evacuated about 1,500 fishermen in the
Miskito Cays The Miskito Cays (Spanish: Cayos Miskitos) are an archipelago with an area of 27 km2 located off shore in the northeastern Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, part of the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. The Miskito Cays are composed of 7 ...
, transporting them back to their respective communities. In Guatemala, although tropical cyclone watches and warnings were not issued, a 72-hour yellow alert (moderate risk) was issued for the departments of
Alta Verapaz Alta Verapaz () is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and ...
, Izabal, Petén, and
San Marcos San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to: Towns and cities Argentina * San Marcos, Salta Colombia * San Marcos, Antioquia * San Marcos, Sucre Costa Rica * San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú) ...
on August 6. Rainfall generated by the storm in Petén Department caused minor flood damage to 14 homes in Ixobel, 6 residences in El Rastro, and 24 dwellings in
Poptún Poptún is a municipality in the El Petén department of Guatemala. It covers an area of 1,128 km2, and had a population of 35,663 at the 2002 Census; the latest official estimate (as at mid-2012) was 64,988. It is some 385 km from Guat ...
. At El Milagro, 25 people were forced to flee their homes due to flooding, while 4 homes suffered minor impacts. Emergency resources collected prior to the storm were distributed by municipal authorities to the people affected. The government of Belize issued a hurricane watch for its coastline at 1500 UTC on August 6, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning six hours later. At 2100 UTC on August 7, the portion of the hurricane warning from
Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, w ...
to the border with Guatemala was downgraded to a tropical storm warning. The remaining portion of the hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning at 1200 UTC on August 8, the same time that the tropical storm warning from Belize City to the border with Guatemala was canceled. Three hours later, the tropical storm warning, which stretched from Belize City northward to the border with Mexico, was discontinued.


Mexico

On August 6, the Mexican government issued a hurricane and tropical storm watch for portions of the Yucatán Peninsula. After Ernesto began quickly intensifying, however, the Mexican government upgraded the watch to a hurricane warning from
Chetumal Chetumal (, , ; yua, label= Yucatec Maya, Chactemàal , ) is a city on the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and the municipal seat of the Municipality of Othón P. Blanco. In 2020 ...
to
Punta Allen Punta Allen (), (officially Javier Rojo Gómez) is the largest village in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula in Tulum Municipality in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Fr ...
along the peninsula and a tropical storm warning northward to
Tulum Tulum (, yua, Tulu'um) is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Carib ...
. Authorities in the Mexican state of
Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo), is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 11 mu ...
were moving more than 1,300 tourists from resorts in Mahuahal and other spots to Chetumal, a bayside city that was expected to see less rain and wind than the coast. Two cruises ships scheduled to dock on the Riviera Maya put off their arrival. In the city of Tulum, some 6,000 tourists were sheltering in hotels that authorities said were strong enough to qualify as storm shelters. Authorities also prepared two kindergartens as shelters that can hold up to 220 people. Soldiers and police were moving 600 residents from the fishing village of
Punta Allen Punta Allen (), (officially Javier Rojo Gómez) is the largest village in the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula in Tulum Municipality in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo Quintana Roo ( , ), officially the Fr ...
in Quintana Roo and began preparing for the evacuation of residents from other low-lying coastal settlements. Mexico closed its three major oil export ports in the Gulf of Mexico -
Coatzacoalcos Coatzacoalcos () is a major port city in the southern part of the Mexican state of Veracruz, mostly on the western side of the Coatzacoalcos River estuary, on the Bay of Campeche, on the southern Gulf of Mexico coast. The city serves as the municip ...
, Cayos Arcas and Dos Bocas. Almost all of the country's crude oil exports are shipped to refineries on the Gulf Coast of the United States from the three ports. Authorities expected them to be back in operation by 9 August. In
Tabasco Tabasco (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It is located in ...
, heavy rains from the storm triggered flooding that killed two fishermen and damaged 100 homes. Three members of a family were killed when a tree fell on their pick-up truck of
Río Blanco, Veracruz Río Blanco is a municipality located in the montane central zone of the State of Veracruz, about 140 km from the state capital Xalapa. It has an area of 24.68 km2. It is located at . The Decree of June 8, 1899 ordained that Tenango's ...
. Also in the state of Veracruz, a teenage girl died after her car got dragged in a current, and a 62-year-old man was killed by a lightning strike.


United States

In the United States, authorities in the Florida Panhandle and
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
warned swimmers of potentially dangerous rip currents that will affect the coast for a few days. At least ten people were rescued in
Pensacola Beach Pensacola Beach is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community located on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island, in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is situated south of Pensa ...
on 9 August alone. A man was injured in a lightning strike, and part of a store was washed away in Pensacola Beach on 10 August.


Notes


See also

* Other storms with the same name *
Tropical Storm Chantal (2001) Tropical Storm Chantal was a North Atlantic tropical cyclone that moved across the Caribbean Sea in August 2001. The fourth depression and third named storm of the 2001 Atlantic hurricane season, Chantal developed from a tropical wave on A ...
– took a similar track across the Caribbean before striking Belize * Hurricane Earl (2016) - Similar storm that struck Belize as a category 1 hurricane in August 2016


References


External links


Tropical Storm Ernesto Advisory ArchiveRadar Animations of Ernesto
(courtesy: Brian McNoldy, RSMAS/Univ of Miami) {{2012 Atlantic hurricane season buttons Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Ernesto (2012) Articles containing video clips Ernesto